Loop-the-loop toy



Sept.. 14 1926.

0 B. ZABEL LooP-THE-LOOP ToY Filed Jan. 2o, 1926 E XM Patented Sept. 14,1926.

iiliiithi.

earner NEW YORK.

Application filed January 20, 1926. Serial No. 92,480.

This invention relates to mechanical toys, and more particularly tomechanical 'toys of the type having a looped track, the track havinga'central looped portion with oppositely inclined extensions at eachside thereof.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide toys of this kind whereinthere is a centrally looped track having oppositely inclined extensions,thetrack being so mounted in a frame that it can be oscillated toalternately raise one end of the track higher than the other whereby agravity propelled object guided in the track is caused to move from oneend of the track to the other. 1n so doing, it acquires sufiicientvelocity to carry it around the loop. As heretofore constructed, it hasbeen proposed that such toys be operated by a spring motor. Where aspring motor is employed, the cost of the toy is very considerablyincreased and the toy cannot be operated by small children who areunable to wind a spring motor.

rlhe presentinvention has for its object to provide a toy of this kin-dwith a simple hand operating mechanism by means` of` which the track maybe rocked, the mechanism for rocking the track being of such simpleconstruction that the toy can be very cheaply mad-e and can be operatedby a small child. i

The presentinvention also has for its obj ect to provide an improved andsimple construction by means of which the manufacture of the toys may bevery materially cheapened.

The invention.may be readily understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate one embodiment of my invention, but it will beunderstood that various changes and modifications may be made within thespirit of the invention.

In the drawings,- p

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the complete toy; i

Figure 2 represents a transverse vertical section in the plane of lineII-II of Fig ure 1; v h

Figure 8 represents an enlarged detail viewof the operating mechanism bymeans of which the track may be rocked; and

Figure 4c shows a perspective view of` a preferred 'form of terminalconstruction for one of the track extensions.

ln the drawings, 9. represents a suitable sheet-metal base which servesto impart rigidity to a wire supporting frame 3 hav? ing uprights 4thereon which are preferably inclined in the manner shown so as tooverhang the center of the base 2. The wire frame 3 of wire bent to thedesired shape, and the base 2 may be secured thereto by having its edgescurled around the wire, as indicated at 5. tions l are turned inwardly,providing supports for the track as hereinafterdescribed. These intnrnedportions are designated 6.

The track, which is of a substantially 7 with oppositely inclinedextensions 8. Connected with the extensions 8 are inclined outerportions 9 which are prefer ably removable so that the toy, when packedin a carton, may bemade very compact. Each of the extensions 9 has abent terminal portion 10 whose angularity is such as 'to receive andhold a gravity propelled object for a desired length of time as thetrack moves from one position to another.

may be formed'of a single `lengt-h The upper ends of the uprightportrough-like formation, has a looped portion:

tif)

Each of the terminal portions 10 has an integral bumper thereon forstopping the car or'other gravity propelled object which rolls along thetrack, and this bumper' is preferably in the form of a tongue 11 formedintegrally` with the track portion 9 and bent upwardly at right anglesthereto,` as clearly shown in Figure 1. This bent up portion has arib 12therein which continues into the bottom of the terminal portiofi 10 andmakes the stop member 11 quite sti At the top of the looped track I is asuitable supporting element in the form of a transverse bar 13 securedto the top of the loop and having ears 14 thereon through which theintnrned portions 6 of the up-` rights 4 pass to provide a pivotalsupport for the track.

Connecting the two bottom portions of the loop is a cross brace 15,which may be secured to the track in any 4suitable way, but whichpreferably has ears 1G thereon which pass through the track and are bentover, as shown in Figure 2 to firmly attach them to the track. Thiscross-member 15 has a central slot 17 therein. i

Struck up from the base 2 are a pair of ears 18 throughfwhich passes arock shaft or wire 19 having an operating handle or iio lever portion 2Oand having` a second lever portion 21 whose upper end projects throughthe slot 17 in the cross-member 15. By reference to Figure 3 it will beseenthat the cross-member 15 preferably has downwardly turned flanges15a thereon.

In operation, the handle 2O is moved through an arc whereby the shaft 19is rocked. rIliis causes the arm 21 to swing. By reason of the fact thatthe arm 21 passes through the cross-member 15, it will cause the loopedtrack structure to be rocked. 'Ihe track may be rocked in one directionuntil one of the flanges 15EL comes into contact with the lever arm 21,as clearly shown in Figure 3. The mot-ion of the handle 2O may then bereversed to rock the track in the opposite direction and to the sameextent until itsv movement is again limited by the other flange ltrlcoming' into contact with the lever 21. It is important that the centerof the shaft 19 be directlyunder the center of support for the loopedtrack in order that the track may be tilted to the same extent in eachdirection. In other words, the rock shaft 19 is direct-ly under thepivoting supports for the track at 6.

When the track is caused to rock inthis manner, one end of the track andthen the other will be alternately raised to an uppermost position. If agravity propelled object, such as the toy car 22, is mounted on thetrack, it will b-e caused., by this movement of the track, to travelfirst in one direction and then in the other along the track to theopposite ends thereof. In moving from the highest point of the track, itgains sufficient speed to carry it around the loop 7 and out totheterminal at the other end of the track. The angularity of thetermii-,ialsissuch that, when the track reverses its movement, the carwill be retained thereon until it hasbeen elevated to such a point that,when it finally does roll off the terminal, the track will be inclinedsufliciently tov give the car enough momentum to go around the loop.

The hand operated device herein described is one by means of which avery smooth and regular motion may be imparted to the track so that theproper operation of the toy will be assured. At the same time, theconstruction is one which is extremely simple and can be very cheaplymanufactured so that the toy can be marketed for a relatively smallprice. IVhile the flanges 15? on the cross-member 15 could be omitted,in which event the metal around the slot l? would cooperate with thelever 21 to limit the rocking motion of the track, it has been foundthat with such an arrangement the metal becomes distorted and bent sothat proper operation is not at all times assured.

l/Vhile I have disclosed a particular form of looped track structure, itwill be understood that any form of looped track structure commonlyemployed in toys, of this kind might be substituted.

l I claim as my invention:

1. A mechanical toy Aincluding a looped 'track having oppositelyinclined end sections, a base, means for pivot-ally supporting the trackon the base, a rock shaft on the base, a lever on the rock shaftoperatively connected with the track, and an operating handle on therock shaft.

2. A mechanical toy including a track member having oppositely inclinedtrack sections, a supporting frame in which the track member is tiltablymounted, a rock shaft in the supporting frame, a` track tilting lever onthe rock shaft., and an operating lever on the rock shaft.

3. A mechanical toy including a looped; track member having oppositelyinclined end sections, a base member, an upright supporting frame on thebase, means on the top of the looped track by which it is s uspendedfrom the upright support, a rock shaft on the base, a lever on the rockshaft, means on` the bottom of the looped track through which said leverpasses, and an operating element on the rock shaft.

4. A. mechanical toy including a looped track member having oppositelyinclined .end

sections, a base member, an upright supportf ing frame on the base,means on the top of the looped track by which it is suspended from theupright support,y a rock shaft on the base, a lever on the rock shaft, across member on the lbottom of the track having. downwardly turned lugsat opposite sides thereof and having a hol-e between the lugs, saidlever on the rock shaft passing through the hole, said lugs beingarranged to contact with the lever to limit the roc-king movementthereof, and an operating element on the rock shaft.

5. A mechanical toy including a base, an upright on the base, a trackelement havingy oppositely inclined ends pivotally supported on theupright, a rock shaft on the base transversely disposed with respect tothe track and centrally under the pivotal sup,- port for the track, alever on the .rock shaft, means on the track through which the leverpasses for tilting` the track whenthe rock shaft is rocked, and anoperating element on the rock shaft.

6. A trough-like track of sheet-metal having a terminal portion with astop thereon, said stop being comprised of an integral tongue at the endof the trough and at right angles thereto, the tongue having an integralrib therein which continues therealong into the bottom of the terminalportion of the track.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

BRUNO ZABEL.

llt)

